Senior IDF officers told the security cabinet Wednesday evening that if Israel and its allies had maintained the naval blockade, Iran would not have withstood the economic pressure, according to a report by Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). The officers reportedly expressed frustration that the blockade was eased, noting that billions of dollars frozen in Qatar will be released with US approval — described within the briefing as "just aspirin" relative to the economic damage Iran had already sustained.
Senior IDF officers conveyed a sharply critical assessment to the security cabinet on Wednesday evening, telling ministers that maintaining the naval blockade on Iran would have brought the regime to its knees economically. According to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), the briefing reflected deep frustration in the defense establishment over the decision to ease the blockade as part of ongoing negotiations. The officers noted that the first tranche of frozen funds — billions of dollars held in Qatar — will be released only with American approval, but characterized the amount as "just aspirin" compared to the severe economic damage Iran had already absorbed under the blockade.
The comment comes amid weeks of reports on the release of Iranian frozen assets, which The Zioneer has tracked closely. Earlier reports indicated that the UAE agreed to unlock $10–20 billion for Iran, that Qatar proposed a $12 billion compromise, and that Tehran has demanded a total of $24 billion as part of a potential deal with the US. The IDF assessment, delivered directly to the cabinet, suggests that military and intelligence officials believe Israel forfeited its strongest leverage by agreeing to lift the naval siege before securing a comprehensive agreement. No immediate response from the Prime Minister's Office or the security cabinet has been reported.
2 developments
- StrongAraghchi: frozen Iranian assets to be released, naval blockade must be lifted
- Developingi24NEWS report: ministers demanded deterrence as Cabinet approved Iran deal
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official says forces were at peak readiness for Iran strike before Trump call
- DevelopingQatar offers Iran favorable timeline on frozen funds in push to avert strike, diplomatic sources say
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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